An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Bierce’s use of stream-of-consciousness narration predates modernism writers of psychological fiction such as Virginia Wolfe, Gertrude Stein, William Faulkner, and James Joyce. This writing technique allows the reader to experience what is happening from moment to moment in the mind of the protagonist. Bierce plays with how time is experienced to create the stream-of-consciousness effect. In doing so, the reader believes that Farquhar’s perception of reality is true. Bierce sets this up in the first part of the story when he shifts an objective third-person narration to Farquhar’s point of view. At this moment, Farquhar closes his eyes to think about his loved ones but is disturbed by a ticking sound. Bierce writes, “And now he became conscious of a new disturbance. Striking through the thought of his dear ones was sound which he could neither ignore nor understand a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion” (7). The sound turns out to be his watch, which Bierce emphasizes uses to show how Farquhar’s perception of time has slowed. He is becoming anxious as he awaits his fate. The narrator says, “He awaited each new stroke with impatience and—he knew not why—apprehension. The intervals of silence grew progressively longer; the delays became maddening” (8).